Railway-rail joint.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 19'03.

' I. c. WALLACE.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED F212, 1903.

No MODEL.

Ily

UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

l PATENT iIJEEICE.

JAMES C. WALLACE, OE DENVER, COLORADO.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Iietters Patent N o. 731,638, dated June 23, 1903.

l `A pplication filed February Z. 190,3.l Serial No.` 141,569. `(No model.)

T all whom t may con/cern:

' Be it known that I, J AMES C. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city and county of Denver, and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail Joints and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains" to make and use the same, reference being ,had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. j i

My invention relates to improvements in means for connecting the abutting ends of railroad-rails and may therefore be termed a rail joint or splice. Its object is to supplant or take the place of ordinary fish-plates or angle-bars or other devices heretofore employed for connecting the extremities of these rails. Y My further object isto'iprovide adevice which shall obviate the necessity of using bolts in connecting the joining or meeting ends of railway-rails. The Vuse of bolts and nuts in making these joints is very objection-- able, for the reason that the vibration incident to the passage of trains over the track soon loosens the nuts and great care is required to prevent accidents from this cause.

My improvement consists of an integral metal device shaped to fit the rails and open at both ends to receive their meeting entremities. This device consists of a bottom upon which the rails rest and' extends upwardly and inwardly covering both flanges and eX- tendsthence upwardly from the iianges embracing the web on opposite sides and terminating immediately below the shoulders formed where thetop ofthe rails join the web.

The device is provided with ribs or `other suitable holding devices on its lower surface, said ribs being adapted to indent the tie or support uponwhich it rests, thus preventing any tendencyof the rails to slide or spread at the joints. In the central part of the device is a stop or partition, forming an abutment which divides the rail-receivingchamber of the device, separates the meeting or adjacent ends of the rails, and projects above the body of the device, this projection being shaped to coliform to the shape of the top of the rails of which it forms a continuation, bridging the space between their adjacent ends. This partition gives the device great strength and durability.

My improved device makes the rails practically continuous at the joints and prevents altogether the independent vertical movethem, thus preventing the wear of the carwheels ordinarily incident to their passage over rail-joints. If one rail end can move ,down below the other, the latter or the one lastv engaged by the wheel presents a sharp corner to the approaching wheel and injures its tread. iMy improved device makes this impossible, since the two rail ends are held in the same plane at all times.

` Having outlined myimproved construction `as well as the function it is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device, the' united rail ends being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2

Vis a top or plan view of the same, the rails being shown in full lines. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, one of the rails being removed. Fig. 4 is an end view of the device shown in detail.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate my improved device in its entirety and comprising the bottom 5, forming a seat forthe rail ends 6 the sides 5, projecting upwardly and inwardly from the outer edge of the bottom to the shoulders where the web joins the rail-iianges, the parts 5c, covering the i'ailiia1iges, thevertical parts 5, embracing the web of the rails on opposite sides, and the central abutment 5g, in alinement with the rail ends and conforming to the shape of the latter.

The bottom of my improved device is provided with two V- shaped ribs 5h, adapted to indent the tie 7 and embed themselves therein.

In laying track with my improved device the two rail ends to be connected thereby are inserted in the device from opposite ends and moved to engagement with the abutment ment ofthe rail ends as the wheels pass over The device is made to t the rails nicely, thus making a line of connected rails practically one continuousor uninterrupted track for the carwheels. Attention is called to the fact that no bolts or other fastening devices are applied or required in making joints by the use of my improved device. Hence where my improved device is used the rail-joints are boltless.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is* l. A rail-joint member comprising an integral device shaped to conform to the shape of the rails and open at both ends to receive the rail extremities to be joined, the said device being open at the top to allow the top of the rail to project above, and entirely closed at the bottom which forms the support for the rail. l

2. A device for connecting the extremities of railway-rails, comprising an integral member shaped to conform to the shape of the rails, open at both ends to receive the rail extremities and provided with a centrally-located abutment, the said device being open at the top on opposite sides of the abutment and completely closed at the bottom which forms a support for the rail.

3. A rail-joint member comprising an integral device-shaped to receive and embrace the ianges and webs of the rail ends and provided with a central abutment projecting above the body of the device and shaped to conform to the end elevation of the rails, the said device being open at the top on opposite sides ofthe abutment to allow the top of the rail to protrude and completely closed at the bottom.

4. An integral railwjoint member open at both ends to receive the rail extremities, and comprising a closed bottom upon which the rails rest; two side parts extending upwardly and inwardly from the bottom part to the web of the rails; and two upwardly-projecting parts embracing` the web of the rails'on opposite sides, the said device being open at the top to allow the top of the rail above the web to protrude.

5.l An integral boltless rail-joint member lopen at both ends to receive the meeting rail 7. A rail-joint member open to receive and embrace the bottom and web of the rails when inserted endwise, and shaped to fit the rail ends 6 preventing vertical or lateral dis placement, .the said member having a central abutment, and bottom ribs adapted to indent the tie or support therefor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, JAMES C. VALLACE.

Witnesses:

DENA NELSON, WILLIS G. PEPPER. 

